NEGROS OCCIDENTAL – In a final round filled with drama and unpredictability, Florence Bisera emerged as the most unlikely of champions, conjuring a victory that will long be remembered not only for its drama but for the grit and composure it demanded.
Coming into the final round of the ICTSI Negros Occidental Classic at the rain-lashed Marapara Golf and Country Club on Thursday, the Davaoeña was barely on the radar – trailing by six strokes and seemingly destined for a respectable, but forgettable, finish.
Instead, Bisera produced a late-round brilliance in resilience, poise and opportunism to shoot a 67 and pull off a remarkable one-stroke win over Seo Yun Kim (72) and Princess Superal (74) here.
What seemed like a two-woman duel between Superal and Kim turned into a free-for-all as weather disruptions and pressure-packed missteps cracked open the leaderboard at the finish.
Kim, chasing her elusive first win after seven excruciating runner-up finishes, looked poised to finally break through. She surged ahead by three strokes at the turn after a pair of birdies on Nos. 4 and 5 and seemed in full control, especially with Superal stumbling early with a double bogey on No. 4 and another dropped shot on the sixth.
Both settled for a share of second at 210, Kim carding a two-over card and Superal fading with a four-over round. They halved the combined purse of P147,000.
Lois Kaye Go, also in strong contention, faltered late with three bogeys in her last five holes, ending her bid with a 72 and solo fourth at 212. Tiffany Lee made a late charge with a 69 to finish fifth at 215, while Chanelle Avaricio (71), Daniella Uy (74), and Kayla Nocum (73) rounded out the top groupings.
But the stage – and the story – unmistakably belonged to Bisera.
With nerves of steel and timing as sharp as her shotmaking, Bisera etched her name into Philippine golf lore with a stunning, against-the-odds triumph that embodied the unpredictability and poetry of the game.
